Splits are emerging in the EU over China’s push to gain market economy status

China has argued that all World Trade Organisation members should grant it market economy status by 11 December 2016, under the terms of the agreement signed when the country joined the WTO in 2001. If China were to be granted market economy status then states would be prevented from imposing higher duties on imports from China in so called ‘anti-dumping’ cases. Laurent Donceel writes that the EU faces a difficult decision over the issue, with some research suggesting up to 3.5 million jobs could be at risk from granting China market economy status, while a rejection of China’s request could harm flows of investment from China into the EU.